–Students organized meetings to develop plans to disrupt YAF events and campus safety officials explained that they wouldn’t get involved when students interrupted HWS YAF lectures

–And finally, the school’s administration warned HWS YAF that the chapter should not expect their disgruntled peers to just “sit on their hand,” implying that the school could not protect the YAFers from angry students.

Despite all of this, HWS YAF continued to challenge the Left’s lies and attacks, growing in size and in influence along the way.

In April, the chapter was able to host both AndrewKlavan, host of the Daily Wire’s “The Andrew Klavan Show,” and KatiePavlich, Fox News contributor, Townhall editor, and YAF alumna. Hosting two conservative speakers in one month is no small feat—especially when the intolerant Left has made it their sole mission to prevent conservative ideas from being heard on campus.

Through these events, HWS YAF caused a shift in their campus’ culture. Leftists began to realize that the YAF chapter was there to stay and could not be scared into submission. No longer were leftists attempting to disrupt or shut down the chapter’s events. Instead, they chose to listen to the conservative speakers’ ideas. HWS YAF saw an influx of new members as other students began to take pride in an organization that could endure the Left’s inane attacks. Furthermore, the chapter’s success on campus emboldened HWS faculty and staff to express their support for the activist organization.

When asked how they were able to endure such adversity, the chairman of HWS YAF, Katrina Willis, responded:

“Two things were fundamentally necessary for us to endure the leftist opposition on campus. The first was confidence in our message. YAF’s principles and aims are the same ones that our Founding Fathers enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. It is not bigoted or hateful to advocate for freedom.

The second thing that kept our chapter strong is the camaraderie that came with being in a YAF chapter. The entire character of our chapter changed when we began connecting with other YAF supporters at schools nearby and taking the time to become good friends with each other. As a chairman, it was a very different experience confronting the administration on behalf of my friends [rather than] confronting it on behalf of a club.”

Hobart and William Smith Colleges Young Americans for Freedom daringly advanced the Conservative Movement at their school. Undeterred by relentless attempts at subversion from the university and students, HWS YAF empowered their peers to stand up to Left. For this reason, we congratulate HWS YAF on being selected as April’s Chapter of the Month.

The following members of HWS YAF were also instrumental in the chapter’s success: